Geography

In Sixth Form, students study Eduqas A level with 13 lessons each cycle. All geography teachers deliver a topic within their specialism.

Students will study:

Changing Landscapes and Changing Places

Glaciated Landscapes

Changing Places

Global Systems and Global Governance

Water and Carbon Cycles

Global Governance: Change and Challenges

21st Century Challenges

Contemporary Themes in Geography

Tectonic Hazards

Contemporary Themes in Geography (four optional themes)

Ecosystems

Economic Growth and Challenge: India or China or Development in an African Context

Energy Challenges and Dilemmas

Weather and Climate

Students will also conduct an independent investigation based on field data and secondary information, this will be worth 20% of the qualification.

Facilities and resources

All geography rooms are equipped with overhead projectors and students have the opportunity to complete investigations within one of the many computer suites across school.

At KS4 and KS5 students are given a copy of a relevant text book to accompany their studies, these will be used both within lesson and for homework tasks.

As a department, we subscribe to Digimaps, Geography Review, GeoFactsheet, GeoScience and are members of the Geographical Association.

We have a vast library of geographical videos, OS Maps, atlas’ and textbooks for use within lessons. To allow students to participate fully in fieldwork opportunities we have all equipment necessary to complete river studies, climate investigations and geological studies.

Trips and visits

In Year 12 and 13 students who study A level Geography need to complete fieldwork for their independent investigation. The Sixth Form cohort complete residential visits together in October half term each year alternating between the Isle of Arran and a European destination. Previously we have visited Majorca, Salford, London, Dunsop Bridge and Blencathra with plans to include Ireland, Croatia, Germany and the Netherlands in the near future.

Extra-curricular

Various extra-curricular opportunities exist at QEGS for budding Geographers.

Each lunch small groups of students will use equipment to take accurate readings of the local weather to update our BBC Weather Watchers profile.

The first QEGS Young Geographer of the Year competition will be run in 2018 across the school with the winners being entered into the national RGS competition with the opportunity to visit the Natural History Museum in London.

Miss J Purvis
Subject Leader of Geography

We also regularly run trips to Iceland and plan to go even further afield in the coming years.

Uganda Good Samaritan Primary School, Kampala

For several years Mr Buckingham has lead a project to raise funds for the school in Kampala. Sixth Form students have the opportunity to travel to Uganda to implement positive change in the Primary School, an experience that is win-win for all involved. The project runs every other year due to the large amount of fundraising required, all students are set a personal target to raise £250 each. This is in addition to group fundraising projects like swimming the length of the English Channel in our swimming pool, Afternoon Tea and a Fashion Show. As a school we have raised over £25,000 since the project began in 2010. Every penny raised by the group goes to the project.